In the first half, Dr. Joel Wallach discussed the human body and its ability to use natural healing without the risky drugs prescribed by modern medicine. Contending that the vast majority of health problems are due to nutritional and mineral deficiencies, he shared the benefits of natural remedies that aid in the body’s recovery from many ailments. "The medical system has failed us terribly...and our kids will be the first generation that do not live as long as their parents," he lamented, adding that medical mistakes by doctors are the third leading cause of death in America.

To treat macular degeneration (a deterioration of the eye's retina), he suggested removing inflammatory items from one's diet (fried foods, processed meats, oils, gluten, and wheat), and taking a set of nutrient/ antioxidant supplements. Gluten, he explained, causes inflammation in the lining of the small intestine, and prevents people from absorbing nutrients. One item he recommended to combat cancer, is Fucoidan, an extract of red marine algae. "There's over 800 research projects on it, and it's the reason given that the Japanese have considerably less cancer than we do and have a higher recovery rate," he cited.

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In the latter half, author Mary Roach addressed her latest work exploring the science of keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, and uninfected in the bizarre, extreme, and adversarial circumstances of war. There is a tremendous amount of hearing loss in war scenarios-- soldiers travel in very loud vehicles such as helicopters. While they could wear hearing protection, they would lose "situational awareness," she explained. Interestingly, there is technology-- special cuffs placed over the ears-- that dampens louder noises, but amplifies the human voice. It's almost like "bionic hearing," said Roach, who tried them on and could clearly hear a conversation two car-lengths away.

She got interested in the offbeat side of military development when she found out that the military in India was studying a swami who could reportedly live just on air, without eating any food. They reportedly examined his physiology to see if there was something there that they could apply to their troops. Roach also touched on the history of the stink bomb, the medical usage of maggots to treat wounds, and how to escape from a sunken submarine.